Become A Research Sponsor

A great deal of the research produced by KLB Research is the result of generous donations from people like YOU! If you would like to help support our research on anti-LGBTQ Violence, relationships, social support, health, and LGBTQ lives, please consider making a donation. Your financial support will go directly to the costs of research, with no deductions for overhead.

Donate to KLB Research

What kind of research will I be supporting?

Public Displays of Affection, Sexual Prejudice & Health Study

Are you a hand-holder or do you avoid all forms of public affection? Does sharing affection with your partner in public improve your relationship and help you deal with day-to-day stress? What happens when these questions are applied to marginalized relationships, such as same-sex relationships, interracial relationships or age-discrepant relationships? Do these couples have more difficulty sharing affection in public, and when they do, do they experience consequences for sharing affection in public, such as increased physiological stress or even the threat of violence and harm? In this line of research I examine the frequency and type of public displays of affection in which different types of couples engage. I also examine the physiological correlates of these types of affection, investigating how the sympathetic nervous system responds to different types of affection and whether or not responses are similar across relationship types. On the other side of this issue, I also study the responses that people have when they witness same-sex PDAs. What happens inside the minds and bodies of prejudiced individuals? How did seeing #2MenKissing contribute to the horrific mass murder at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida? When a homonegative individual witnesses two men holding hands or kissing, does he or she experience a physiological response associated with their prejudiced attitudes? Do different types of prejudice all elicit similar physiological responses, or do they vary by the target of prejudice? Can understanding the physiology of prejudice provide useful hints as to how best to reduce prejudice? The ultimate goal of this line of research is to make it safer for all couples to expression their love and affection and to prevent anti-gay violence. These are lofty goals, but incrementally, each pieces of research will move us closer to achieving these goals.

perceiving and providing social support for relationships

If your friends and family disapprove of your romantic relationship or choice in mate, how does that influence your relationship? Do relationships that experience support last longer than those that meet with disapproval? Are there health implications associated with having support for your relationship? Do individuals in marginalized relationship types (e.g., same-sex, age-discrepant, interracial) experience similar levels of social support as individuals in non-marginalized relationships? These are just some of the questions that I seek to answer within this line of research. I have examined these questions through the use of longitudinal survey methods with same-sex and mixed-sex couples. My current work is beginning to examine how people make decisions about their relationships based on the levels of support they perceive for their relationship. If your friends don't approve, do you find a new mate? Does the opinion of your best friend matter more or less than the opinion of your mother? Beyond the process of making decisions based on perceptions of social support for one's relationship, I am also interested in understanding more about how people judge the relationships of their friends and family. How do you determine if your best friend's new mate is as great as your friend thinks they are? Furthermore, when you don't like your friend's mate, do you tell your friend or keep quiet? How do these decision processes change when you disapprove of a family member's relationship, such as the relationship of a son or daughter? Are social network members consciously aware of the potential for disapproval to be interpreted as prejudice when providing their opinions on marginalized relationships?

the close relationships of people on the autistic spectrum

High functioning autistic individuals, previously known as individuals with Asperger's Syndrome, often desire and seek romantic relationships, yet ultimately experience difficulties maintaining relationships given the unique challenges they face with interpersonal communication. In this line of research, I seek to investigate how individuals on the spectrum navigate romantic relationships, and, more specifically, how they experience their sexual and gender identity. Do individuals on the spectrum (including self-identified Aspies) struggle with understanding processes related to safer sex and intimacy that could put them at a higher risk for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV? Are there interventions that could help youth and young adults to better navigate the complexities of determining one's sexual and gender identity and finding healthy and satisfying relationships?

femmephobia, femme identity & ingroup discrimination

Working with Rhea Ashley Hoskin, author of Femme Theory, I examine how societal devaluations of femininity lead to experiences of discrimination and oppression. In particular, this line of research investigates the experiences of femme identified individuals as well as individuals who are targets of femmephobia (e.g., a straight man deemed to be too 'feminine'). Rhea and I are working together to develop a measure of femmephobia so that this important construct can be examined from multiple perspectives across different disciplines.

How Will my donation be Used?

To fund replication studies to thoroughly test the results of our research and to expand our samples to include diverse populations. For example, our recent study of sexual prejudice was conducted using heterosexual men viewing pictures of male same-sex couples. Additional funding would allow us to vary the conditions of this study, having heterosexual men and women view pictures of same-sex male and female couples, while also varying aspects such as the gender presentation of the individuals within the couples.

To provide high quality research experiences to undergraduate and graduate students.

To pay for open access publication fees so that the results of all KLB Research studies can be open to the public.

How Can I Make A Donation?

The list below presents the numerous ways that you can make a donation to support KLB Research. Canadian tax receipts will be issued for donations processed through St. Francis Xavier University's "Give to StFX" page.

Donate

Option 1: Click the Donate Button to the right to make a secure donation with your credit card.

Option 4: Send an electronic email transfer to info@klbresearch.com through your Canadian Bank.

Option 5:

Mail a cheque payable to St. Francis Xavier University in US or Canadian funds to:Dr. Karen BlairP.O. Box 85St. Francis Xavier UniversityAntigonish, Nova ScotiaB2G 2W5 Canada

In the cheque memo, state that the donation is to be directed to Dr. Karen L. Blair, KLB Research Lab

Option 6:

Visit the "Give to StFX" page on the St. Francis Xavier University WebsiteFill out your name, email and donation amount. Choose whether you would like to give a one time donation (Give Now), a gift with scheduled payments, or a perpetual donation. Re-Enter your donation amount in the category marked "other."In the box below, where it asks you to describe the "other" category to which you are donating, type in: Dr. Karen Blair's Research Lab (see screen capture below)

Instructions for how to fill out the StFX Donation form to ensure that your donation makes it to KLB Research.